4 days until everything changes.

He would never admit this to the boss, but the morning sky was truly beautiful. The sun rising over the city's skyline as the clouds formed a thick overcast. The cold morning dew that graced the metal plating of nearby buildings. That serene silence of a lifeless street. It was pure bliss.

Crow sat on the diner's sign, inside the upper circle of the 'B' in 'Bull's'. His left leg dangled over the edge as he toyed with his blades. A bored expression was plastered across his face while he watched the sunrise.

A heavenly smell caught his attention; His animal instincts picked up the scent of a freshly-baked pie. He hopped out of his resting spot inside of the B to the top of the diner. Standing on the edge, his pupils narrowed to search for the aroma's location. They locked onto an elderly woman placing a pie on her apartment's windowsill.

"Mrs. Corduroy. Apartment 324. Guess she's having family over today." Crow sat down on a nearby power box, the low hum it emitted massaging his backside. "I wonder if she'll let me snag a bite?" Crow let his eyes shut as he reminisced on his past.

He rememberedRetropolis twelve years ago. A town with crime running rampant. The only law: survive. He remembered the clothes he used to wear: Ragged clothes and stolen accessories he found around the streets. Back then, his eyes were sad and sunken as he traversed the shadows alone.

Images of his survival tactics replayed like a movie reel. Catching unsuspecting men in alleys and pilfering their wallets and valuables, then pawning off the shiny trinkets to jewelry stores and local collectors. His meals consisted of store-bought snacks, fast food, and other people's cooked dinners.

Whenever he explored the streets, he kept a hoodie over his head, fearful of people's reaction to a half-man-half-bird monster walking the streets. Not that he wanted to wear it; The combination of his black feathers and hoodie made him a walking sauna. So much so that during the summer months, he only went out during the night, lest he suffered a heat stroke.

Maybe that was why he loved these cool mornings, Crow mused. Especially mornings like these, when Mrs. Corduroy made her pies. His mind streamlined to the first day he met Mrs. Corduroy, or rather, her cooking. That was the first day the now-familiar smell made its way to the nostrils at the base of his beak. It was so enticing, so inviting, that Crow didn't even give it a second thought. He nimbly made his way to the diamond in the rough, snatching up the pie and resting on a distant rooftop to enjoy his meal. He remembered the taste exploding in his mouth, so many intense flavors that he didn't know existed assaulted his taste buds. Crow voraciously devoured the pie, lapping at his fingers like the animal he was. When he saw the bottom of the metal pan, he came to one conclusion; he needed more!

Crow made sure to make the windowsill a daily stop, always looking for a new pie. Each day he saw a treat he would scoop it up while she was away. And for every day there was no pie in sight he would groan and wait up to an hour in hopes that one was on its way.

Then one morning, he saw two pies sitting on the windowsill. Initially, his heart palpitated as he mentally celebrated his first double payday. But when he got to the window, he noticed a note sitting beside the leftmost pie. It read, 'I hope this can fill you up today.'

He couldn't read the note; He was never taught how to read. But he understood the note was for him. His interest piqued, Crow risked a glance inside the apartment. Standing over the oven, with a smile on her face as she watched him snag her cooking, was the old woman that Crow would later know as Mrs. Corduroy. His face still concealed, he awkwardly waved before jumping away with the pie in hand. When he ate this pie, it tasted especially delicious.

Crow woke up from his daydream, his eyes blinded by the sun leaking through the clouds. Reminiscing over, he made his way to a nearby hatch and dropped down into the diner's kitchen. The pearly white tiles sparkled as two men frantically mopped the floors. Crow noticed the lack of rage-induced insults within the room. Curious, he caught the attention of one of the workers, "Where's Bibi?"

"Oh." The worker deflated, expecting the usual dose of yelling and threats of bodily harm. "She's with Bull on a business trip."

Crow nodded his head as he dismissed the worker. His body ran on autopilot as his mind went back to the past. He remembered waiting for another pie from Mrs. Corduroy. That day, his guilt made itself known as he realized he was unintentionally making her bake two pies every week. He figured it would be better to search for food elsewhere that day, and his eyes were on set on a big target.

He went to his pad, a corner of one of the cleaner alleys that he fitted with glow sticks and stolen sheets from clotheslines. The clothes he stole included an all-white hoodie, perfect for his current job. Under the cover of night he made his way to a new diner in Retropolis, the one with a giant skull in the front and music blasting through the front doors. He had inspected the roof countless times before; There was a simple hatch sitting on top with no locking mechanism or security. When he opened the hatch, he saw a few men moving around with aprons and food in hand: A direct path to the kitchen.

His plan was simple: Hop in, grab some food, hop out. If only it was that easy. When he first hopped down the hole, he was greeted by a random employee carrying a raw steak in his gloved hands. Crow's instincts saved him from an abrupt failure as he held the man's mouth shut. Looking for a more permanent solution, Crow's eyes locked onto the freezer to his immediate right, and pulled both him and the unfortunate cook inside.

After disposing of the witness, he put on the man's apron, keeping his face hidden as he moved along the edges of the kitchen. He instantly realized another miscalculation: Fast-food restaurants have many orders prepared and sitting on a warming rack for speedy service, but this diner was not a fast-food restaurant. His brain tried desperately to think up a new way to snag some food without getting caught. Figuring that the orders had to be served at some point, Crow decided that the best way to score a meal was to simply walk out with a finished order.

Crow bade his time, picking up a mop on the wall and pretending to clean as he watched the main grill closely. His opportunity appeared in the form of a thick and juicy burger sitting in the carryout window. Crow quickly dropped the mop as he pushed through the rushing workers. He made his way to the door for the main lobby, but it opened inward colliding with his face.

"Oh sorry," the random worker called as he reached down to help him. "I didn't think anyone was on the other-" The worker's breath caught before he could finish the sentence. Crow reached up to rub his head, feeling his feathered skull instead of the soft silk of the hoodie. His bird skull was on full display as the workers paused to stare at him.

He started panicking as a circle formed around him, "HEY!" All heads turned as a woman stepped up to the group. Her hair was short and curled on the sides, but Crow paid little attention to her head once he noticed the metal bar in her hand. "The hell's going on here? I didn't tell ya to stop."

One of the workers stepped up, "Sorry ma'am its just..." he tried motioning towards the freak on the floor.

She stepped in the middle of the group, her eyes locking onto the strange intruder. She smacked on something within her mouth, a pink bubble being blown from her lips. Her eyes traced his body, only pausing on his head for a second, "Who the fuck are you?"

Crow started panicking, he needed to get out before things got worse. He quickly hopped to his feet, pushing the random worker into the circle, causing some of the staff to topple over. Their falling bodies created an opening for him to run through, and like a quarterback being rushed, he dashed forward with as much speed as he could muster. But before he could get through the door, the metal bar he spotted earlier collided with his back. Crow crumbled to the ground, turning on his back to face the source of the flung projectile. The woman who confronted him was now making a mad dash straight towards him.

He quickly hopped to his feet, his hands rising to his head as he got into a battle stance. Crow didn't know why he was fighting, his instincts just told him to defend himself. He watched as she threw a wild punch at his head. His body weaved around the blow with ease as the force of it blasted open the door.

He quickly ducked under her body, allowing her back to face the lobby. She wildly threw more punches, only for the bird-man to bob and weave, avoiding each wild blow. One punch haphazardly collided with a hanging pan, the impact creating a horrible sound that caused his ears to ring.

This made Crow instinctually wrap his hands around his ear holes. Trying his best to silence that painful noise. She took notice of his stunned state, landing a thunderous blow to his stomach. The air in his lungs rushed out as he dropped to a knee.

She picked him up by his hoodie, the small bird now at eye-level with the woman. "I'll say it again: Who the fuck are you?"

Crow didn't bother responding. Instead, he threw out a stiff hand, chopping her throat. She relinquished her grip, clutching her neck as she tried to breathe. Crow recovered quickly and stood up expecting her to rise again. When she recovered from the shot, Crow punched her as hard as he could square in the jaw. His eyes lit up as he heard the sound of his feathered fists colliding with her face.

While he merrily celebrated, several of the workers ran out of the backdoor. He stood by himself, trying to understand their strange behavior. Did he scare them off? Was his appearance that unsetting?

He got his answer from the sound of a soft chuckle chilling his bones. He slowly turned back to see the woman still bent over, laughing. Her body shambled towards the metal bar.

Crow froze when he saw the ghastly grin across her lips. Her face reminded him of a possessed woman in a horror film he'd once seen through a family window. "Good~" her voice sounded like she was choking on nails. "I actually felt that."

Crow brought his hands back up to fight, but his body was shaking like a leaf. She brought the bar to her side, holding it like a baseball bat. He slowly took a step back, his body meeting a metallic counter. The woman lunged towards him, a home-run swing aimed for his head. He narrowly ducked under the blunt weapon, the air above him cracking from the speed of her attack.

Before, her fists flew wildly like an enraged animal. Now, her strikes were calculated, each swing measured as she pushed forward. Every attack aimed to kill. But eventually, one swing missed wildly, and Crow used the opportunity to land a blow beneath his assaulter's left arm.

Without flinching, she clamped down on his fist. The bird tried to pull his arm free, but he couldn't escape her vice-like grip. She used her free hand to drop a slamming strike with the bar. Crow leaned away, allowing the bar to clang against the ground. Clearly in a bad situation, he stomped her toe to try and loosen her grip, but she hooked the bar under his left arm.

He stood there trapped in her grasp, fighting the unprecedented strength of the woman. Without warning, she reeled her head back, smashing it against his beak. The most sensitive part of his body. A painful shock rocked him to his core.

She relinquished her grip on his left arm, then used her bar to slam his chest with a bone-breaking swing. The bird rolled backward, colliding into a set of silverware. The sharp utensils rained downward, his hands feebly protecting his head from being punctured. When he looked up, the woman was sauntering towards him. A smirk on her face as she rested the bar on her shoulder.

"Not bad bird boy. Haven't had someone keep pace with me since my baby cousin." She blew another massive bubble, obnoxiously popping it with her teeth as her taunts continued. "Now if I were my cousin, I'd let ya live. Maybe even try to recruit ya. Unfortunately for you," she dropped low, sensually raising his chin with her fingertips. "I'm not my cousin."

Now he was desperate. He could feel the malice in her voice. Her enjoyment in his pain. She took his face in her hands. Moving him back and forth, observing his features. "Ya know. You almost look cute." She pushed him against the cabinet, his head screaming from the pressure. "My mom never let me have any pets. Always said I couldn't take care of it." She paused to snicker to herself, "She was right you know. I killed the last parrot I had. He was annoying, kept screeching at night. No one knows how that dog got into his cage. Now that I'm looking at ya, you're kinda reminding me of him."

His hands moved sporadically. One gripping at her powerful arm while the other searched the floor. His fingers wrapped around a cold piece of steel, and like a flash of lightning, he buried a steak knife deep into her arm. The sound of her blood-curdling screech roared above the music in the lobby.

She rolled away, ripping the blade from her arm while she watched the wound ooze. Crow slowly rose, his eyes batting open and shut in hopes of shaking the fuzzy feeling. Once he regained his sight, he wished his vision was still blurred. What was a scary playful face before had morphed into unbridled rage.

The woman wrapped her hands around a metal bar on a nearby cabinet. It was approximately two feet long and bolted onto the metal door. She ripped it off its hinges, heavy breaths escaping her clenched teeth. A monstrous dash brought her just a few inches from Crow, her nose practically touching his beak.

He quickly rolled away just as the woman smashed the rod on the counter. Not missing a beat, she quickly threw the rod at Crow's head. He just barely ducked the incoming projectile. When he turned back, she was rushing him again. His fight or flight instincts kicked in. And right now, it was time to fly.

He ran for the exit, blasting through the flapping doors and into the main lobby. The colored lights were still on, but the party had stopped abruptly. All eyes were on him; many customers gawked at the sight while others started snapping blurry photos. His body naturally recoiled, wanting to go back into hiding, but a terrifying roar made his legs kick into overtime.

As he slinked through the crowds (which were pushing and shoving the smaller patron) he saw the glass doors of the entrance. On the other side, he could see cars pass by, their headlights shooting past like stars in the night sky. Just as his hands clenched the door, his entire body was lifted into the air.

He looked to his new captor, his stomach falling to his toes at the sight of the man. He was a giant beast of a human with a bright gold nose ring resting against his upper lip. Crow swore a puff of smoke came out his nostrils before speaking, "And who are you?" Crow would later refer to this freak as Bull, his boss, but for now he only saw a monster. This size that allowed Bull to palm his skull was accentuated by a voice so deep it shook the room. The sound of his ground-shattering bass seemed to vibrate Crow's internal organs.

He scanned the room from his suspended state, searching for another way out. "Hey. I'm talking to you," Bull continued. Another screech could be heard from the kitchen. The gargantuan man turned in the direction of the commotion, trying to figure out what the sound was. With the giant distracted, Crow twisted his hips, landing a hurricane kick to his cheek.

Many of the customers gasped at the clean hit. But Crow's heart stopped when Bull's only acknowledgment of the blow was a snort. With one hand, Bull threw him up higher. His body shifting in the air, Crow's face was on a collision course with the ground. Just before he slammed into the floor, the giant gripped Crow's foot, dangling him upside-down. "Feisty little bastard, huh?"

The kitchen door flew off its hinges. All heads turned as the woman Crow so valiantly evaded searched the lobby. "WHERE IS HE?!"

The giant had his attention on her again. In a final escape attempt, Crow bent his spine, reaching into his back pockets. Three knives he grabbed from the floor slipped between his fingers. He threw his hips forward, sending the volley of kitchen tools directly into his captor's chest.

Some bystanders screeched in horror as a thick red liquid shot from Bull's body. The giant man just looked down at the newly opened wounds. His thick black shirt growing darker as a trail started to form down his stomach.

Bull looked back at the intruder, a smile on his face. Crow was flipped up into the air, his vision filled by the ceiling above. For just a second, Crow felt weightless; He was flying just like the birds in the sky. Then the crushing weight of reality came back like a bad dream, alongside the meteor fist that Bull planted into his chest.

Crow's body rocketed down to the floor. It was hard to tell if the crunching noise was the floorboards breaking beneath him or his ribs snapping within. His body rebounded off the floor, then was mushed under the giant feet of the monster man.

Crow groaned under his foot, the feeling of his giant boots digging into his liver was driving him mad. His feathered fists clawed at the oversized shoes as his body was compressed. Then a familiar grey bar slammed on the ground beside him. Bibi had crouched down so their noses were touching once again. A fiendish grin across her lips as she sung, "I~ Found~ You~"

Bull looked at her arm, a trail of blood staining her purple jacket sleeve. Even with his poor social skills, Crow was able to read her mood. As she dramatically lifted the bar above her head, he clenched his eyes shut to brace for the impact. If he had any regrets, it was that he wouldn't get to have any more of Mrs. Corduroy's pies.

But the blow never came. Instead, his eyes fell on Bull's burly arms as they held Bibi back. It took him a year, but Bull eventually bent down to meet Crow's face. "What's your name?"

He silently cowered under the giant's shadow.

"I said what's your name?"

Crow refused to talk. The giant shrugged, giving Bibi the okay to swing. Two black palms quickly shot forward. With a heavy heart he prepared to do something he'd never done before: Talk. "Don't... have... name." His voice was high-pitched and shrill. His fear flowed out like water as he tried to form a sentence. He had never been taught English and speaking words to humans was never needed but he had picked up on a few phrases.

The giant man stopped her again, "Don't have a name? Good... that means no one will remember you." He signaled for her to finish it.

Crow shot for a final desperate plea, "No... name... No... Family... No... Food." He had never cried in his life, never felt fear. But tonight he learned what it meant to flirt with death, "I'm... sorry."

"Too late!" Bibi brought her bar down with deadly force. His eyes instinctually shut just as the sick sound of metal slapping skin echoed through the diner. Again Crow sat with his eyes clamped tight. He didn't know what it felt like to die, but he was sure that he felt alive. He tentatively opened his eyes, blowing a sigh of relief when he saw Bull holding onto the bar. "What!?" she protested.

Crow gazed toward his savior. A strangely warm smile stretched across his dastardly cheeks. Bull raised his foot from Crow's chest, giving the bird a chance to breathe again. Crow wasted no time graciously accepting the gift of air, though Bibi was visibly frustrated with the conclusion. He would have attempted to verbally thank Bull for showing mercy, but he was instead blessed with the underside of his massive size twenty-one boots. Bull kicked him with a dangerous amount of force, sending Crow's head careening back into the linoleum flooring. His vision grew fuzzy again and he was losing his hearing, but Crow was able to make out one final line from Bull.

"I like him."

~--~

The sound of the door closing behind him ended his daydream. A web of memories tried to keep him bound but he was able to break free. His autopilot unwillingly whisked him downstairs whilst a storm brewed within his mind. His past continued to boil to the forefront. After Bull knocked him out he remembered waking up inside, "...The storage room."

His eyes looked through the metal door. Bull had locked the kid up yesterday; Crow could only assume she was still locked inside, chained up in those haunting cuffs. His beady black eyes absently stared at the doorknob, 'Would it be wrong to check on her?'

He weighed the pros and cons of entering the room. A pro would be getting to observe the child's psychological state after being left inside a small room in handcuffs for a day. It would be a great way to learn more about those emotions he abandoned years ago, roughly around the same time he became Bull's personal hitman/apprentice.

A con would be getting into a new world of trouble with the boss. A painful punishment surely awaited him for disobeying orders. Crow decided the best bet would be to wait for Bull and Bibi's return; He would be more lenient if his older cousin was the one requesting her release. Upon reaching his logical conclusion, Crow refocused ahead of him, only to find himself standing in front of the storage room door. The keys from Bull's office were already inserted within the door's lock.

"Or... I won't," he said in his deep voice. With a satisfying 'kachink', the door slid open with a tiny whine. He lazily scanned the room while his senses monitored his surroundings. Perhaps his boss would suddenly arrive and witness his blatant disobedience. Maybe a random thug could show up, witness the action, then report it to Bull. Anything would help to liven up his increasingly boring days. But alas, he was all alone.

"Well... maybe she can liven things up..."

Crow took his time creeping inside the tiny room. The first thing he noticed was a small ball of mass shifting under a fresh set of covers. He recalled Bibi sneaking in last night to give Nita a change of sheets. That plus the fresh, store-bought mattress made Nita's naps as comfortable as they could be. Crow softly shut the door behind him, his body naturally silent as he approached her bed. He could hear her faint snores as she wistfully slept the morning away.

He found himself crouching beside her. His arms rested on his knees while he balanced on his toes. It was strange, he couldn't explain it but he often found himself checking up on her at night. Something about hearing her soft snores was comforting to him. Perhaps it was that naïve innocence that he found so interesting. The fact that she could be at peace even in this foreign environment intrigued Crow. Or maybe it was because it was the only time she seemed tolerable. She couldn't scream her name if she was asleep.

Just as Crow made the conclusion he heard Nita grumble something in her sleep. He dropped lower to hear what she was saying. An adorable little groan of, "Nita..." escaping her dormant head.

"Well she can't yell it out loud," he remarked. Either way, he knew it was relaxing.

Crow transitioned from crouching to sitting beside her, his face inching closer to the blanket each second. Waking up here two days ago, she seemed completely unfazed by her new surroundings. Like the concept of being kidnapped wasn't even in her vocabulary. Was it childlike wonder or was she just dumb?

Either way, he wanted answers.

The sound of subtle groans alerted him of the child's awakening. Her body slowly rose, causing the covers to tumble to her waist. Her amber eyes locked with Crow's black spheres. He just kept staring at her, he didn't even bother to blink. And though her eyes were much less alert, she refused to break eye contact.

"Hi..." she lowly hummed.

"Hello." Crow kept his voice neutral, but his mind was screaming. This girl just woke up to a half-bird, half-man hybrid staring at her, and her response was 'Hi'?

Crow couldn't wrap his head around this kid. She defied all laws of ethics. All laws of humanity. All laws of reality. He might be an anthropomorphic bird, but even he wouldn't respond so nonchalantly if a strange creature was watching him sleep. Crow might have lost touch with his emotions, but his logic was still healthy and strong.

Nita wasn't aware of his inner turmoil for she had outer struggles to handle. She pushed past Crow and dragged the covers with her. Crow was too stunned to watch her but a strange noise caught his ear. He heard what sounded like chains clanking about. But this wasn't the sound of chains bashing against one another. It was as if they were being dragged along the floor.

"Mr. Bird..." Crow turned at the nickname she had given him and in turn got the answer to his inquiry. Nita was currently holding onto a red toothbrush and toothpaste. Wrapped around her arms were the handcuffs Bull had put her in, but the chain that linked them was broken down the middle. "Can I brush my teeth?"

Crow led the girl to the downstairs bathroom, patiently waiting outside while she took care of her morning routine. His eyes rapidly jumped back and forth while he processed what he saw. She must have snapped the chains last night. But if she could snap them so easily why hasn't she broken out? Then a strange thought slipped past his constant ramblings: What if she broke them in her sleep?

The sound of the water stopping snapped Crow from his thoughts. The wild child walked out with some paste still around her mouth. Crow again found himself instinctually grabbing a tissue and wiping the crust from her lips. He paused after cleaning her up, why did he do that? How is she so innocent? How can someone this harmless be that powerful?. He could read most people rather well; Those kinds of tricks came with his trade. But with this girl, the amount of raw destructive power she possessed did not match her personality in the slightest.

Crow led the girl back to her room. Her stomach grumbled like a volcano as she laid down on the bed, "I'm hungry."

Crow looked around the room. They hadn't given her any snacks, "What do you want?"

"I dunno?"

"Hm... Do you like sausages?"

"What's a sausage?"

"It's like a pig... but for breakfast."

"Ooh, I like pigs."

"Then I'll get you a sausage biscuit." Crow closed the door behind him before making his dry trip up the stairs.

He reached the topside and made a simple request: A sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit alongside an egg and cheese biscuit for himself. Crow took a seat in the diner while his meal was being prepared. The early morning elderly crowd took their seats at the counter alongside the commuting truckers and sleep-deprived early birds. Crow blended in with this group rather nicely.

However, one older black man purposefully placed himself beside Crow. The old codger gave a warm greeting as he sat down. "How ya doing old pal?"

"Same as always Jordan. Dead."

Jordan vehemently observed Crow's face, "I don't know about that." The old coot chuckled as he spoke, "You got a different look today."

Crow cracked his neck as his intrigue grew, "And how do you know there's something different?"

"Your eyes." The elderly man pointed his wrinkled finger at Crow's face. "They're usually so dead an' lifeless. Like you're looking for a reason to smile. But today, you have a little smirk on your face and a twinkle in your eyes."

Crow threw his hand to his mouth. Touching his beak and tracing the edge of his lower mandible.

"Yep. You made a friend, didn't you?" Jordan pestered.

Crow put back on his usual placid look, "I don't have friends. Just colleagues."

Jordan let out a soft laugh at the statement, "Trust me, boy. I was your age once. And I was the exact same. So serious about my work that I couldn't help others if they housed with the enemy. But then I met this kid in the streets of Benghazi. A little boy that wanted to play soccer with me and the other soldiers in the middle of the road. And even though the sun was trying to burn a hole through our heads we couldn't help but holster our weapons and join him for a pick-up game. Before we knew it half the block was joining in the fun. That's when I realized that there are precious lives that need to be protected around the world. Even if they live with my enemies."

Crow recoiled from the story. It had nothing to do with his previous statements yet it perfectly mirrored Crow's current situation. It was interactions like this that made him question his relationship with the elderly.

Jordan, seeing that Crow was too stunned to speak, happily continued his monologue. "I'm not gonna tell ya how to live your life. But here's a word of advice: don't fight a good thing. And don't let your enemies skew your perception of an entire civilization. Oh, and always protect the youth. The way you treat them will shape our futures."

Crow wanted to ask more about the elder's strangely specific advice, but the chef came out to hand him his food. So he gave a silent goodbye and returned to the basement.

He stood outside the door to Nita's storage room. His hands held onto the two plates as he processed his situation. He was a trained killer, a professional with countless bodies behind him. But currently he was serving a child food like her personal butler. Something about this felt wrong, but also quite nice.

While he was analyzing this new feeling the door violently flew open. His instincts sent him back just before the metal could blindside him. "That smells awesome!" Nita was currently standing below him with her mouth oozing drool like a British bulldog.

He carefully passed her the plate lest he get his hand chewed off by the starving beast. When she disappeared back into her room he moved to the empty poker table; Another meal alone as per usual. At least, that's what he thought. But the rhythmic sound of chains dragging disrupted his meal. Nita's tiny head peeked around the corner with her pelt's eyes drinking in the scenery. "Why you eating alone?"

"I always eat alone."

Nita looked to her room, then back to the bird. "Wanna eat in my room?"

Crow looked down at his food, then back to her. The words of the old man filling his head, "Sure."

Sitting in the girl's room was strange. Conversing with a child presented its challenges but currently he was more concerned with his mind. Again he found this eerie sense of calm while sitting beside her. The little devil ate her food like an animal while he took his time munching on the egg biscuit. The contrast of their eating styles was so interesting to observe. To think that the more animal-like body would be more civil. The bird couldn't take his eyes off her as she ripped the food to pieces. Her face was smothered in grease after literally tearing into the patty.

He once again unconsciously activated auto-pilot while his mind wandered elsewhere. 'She truly does seem to be an animal. Perhaps it would be best for me to help civilize her.' Crow flinched at his thought process, 'Why do I care. She's nothing more than a temporary hostage. Why do I care how she acts? I need to cut all ties with this child. For the security of the mission.'

"Thank you." Nita cooed.

Crow's eyes refocused, once again he was cleaning up Nita's filthy face. He patiently pushed a napkin against her mouth while she giggled and tried to avoid his hand. He could feel her squishy cheeks under his fingers. He couldn't help but poke at her face which elicited even more playful snickers from the girl. His mouth moved on its own, "Are you scared?"

"Scared of what?"

Crow looked around the room, "This..."

Nita looked into his gloomy eyes, "Nah, I'm not scared of anything."

Crow put the napkin down. He showed a bit of frustration but quickly calmed himself before he continued, "Well, what about someone stronger than you?"

"Nobody's stronger than Nita!"

"Hm... but what if someone was? And they wanted to hurt you?"

"Huh... that'd have to be a really tough person." Nita feverently pondered the question. While she racked her mind, Crow got lost in her white eyes. The fact that so much emotion could be shown in two white husks was astounding. His eyes had been devoid of light for years, searching for a spark but never finding one.

Nita clapped her hands, deciding on an answer. "Then I have you."

"W-What?"

"You'll help me. If there was ever someone stronger than me."

Crow unable to look directly at her, "Why would I do that?"

Nita cocked her head to the side, "Because you're my friend." Crow felt a strange warmth in his chest. "You're all my friends. Ms. Bibi, Mr. Bull, and you Mr. Bird. You'll help me."

Crow's body seemed to convulse at her words. That fuzzy feeling threatened to burn through his chest, "Crow..."

"Hm?"

"My name, they call me Crow."

Nita smiled up at him. A toothy grin that showed off her razor-sharp canine teeth. "Okay. Then you'll protect me, Mr. Crow."

Crow's mind halted at those words. 'You'll protect me, Mr. Crow... protect me, Mr. Crow... protect... protect.' That one word seemed to be playing on a loop in his mind. Protect. Never had that word been said to him before.

Then like a roller coaster straight to hell his past hit him. He remembered his first time talking to Mrs. Corduroy after meeting Bull. The woman explained that she was worried something happened to him. He told her she no longer needed to make pies for him, he could keep himself fed. But her response burned his soul, "I guess that's better. It was getting expensive buying extra ingredients."

So his suspicions were right. He was a burden on her.

Before he had time to reason that through the event he was shot towards his first job with Bull. He remembered Bull presenting a man to him, covertly sliding a knife into his fingers. "You're going to be my personal hitman. Your only purpose is to erase my problems off the face of the earth." Bull pointed towards the quivering man, "Now erase." Crow remembered how terrified the person was. The tears in his eyes. The pimples on his face. This guy was so young but he had crossed Bull, which earned the poor man a dirt mattress six feet under.

He remembered how Bull's anger grew at Crow's hesitation. He snatched Crow up by his collar, "I didn't save your life so you could mooch off me." He threw Crow beside the man, "Finish him."

Bull didn't see people. He saw tools to his success and barriers that stood in his way. He refused to let anything stop him from rising to the top. To him, Crow was just another rung on his ladder to immortality. But this girl's words, 'Protect me.' Never had he needed to hear something so much and never knew until he heard it. He looked back down at Nita. The girl had her back turned to him as she inspected her dress.

She pulled it up to her nose, sniffing the fabric. "Blech. Ms. Bibi's right. I need new clothes."

Crow's arms betrayed his character as they reached out to Nita. Crow suddenly saw all the people he had killed in his life, their bodies replacing hers. Their groans and cries for help flooded his ears. An inky black aura of death and damnation radiated from each ghastly figure.

For so long he had been programmed to kill. He couldn't see people as anything but targets. But as he looked at this sea of darkness, a blindingly bright light burst through the waves. Nita's body stood at the center with that goofy smile she never stopped sporting.

Instead of wrapping his fingers around her neck, he saw himself embracing the girl from behind. He held her so close to his heart. His feathers stood on end as he melted into his first hug. He wanted to absorb this warm feeling that she was emitting. And as he continued his embrace, he found himself wishing that it would never end.

She looked up at the bird-man, his pupils had dilated and they were jumping around randomly. Even now he couldn't fully process his actions. "Haha. You look funny Mr. Crow."

Crow looked down at the girl. His eyes still bugged out at his involuntary response, "I'll... Protect you."

"But I said I don't need protection."

Crow looked forward, staring at nothing but looking through everything. "I know... But if anything ever happens. I'll always be there. Even if you can't see me."

Nita gasped, "You can turn invisible? Just like my brother?"

Crow ignored her words; he had yet to fully comprehend his own. Yet he couldn't keep his beak shut, "Even if your village and my boss are enemies, I'll always watch over you." He reactively rubbed the bottom of his beak against the top of her head. "Always."

"Like a momma bird watches her children?"

"...Yes."

"That's funny. Ms. Bibi said the same thing."

"Hm," Crow would ask her about that later. For now, he just wanted to enjoy this moment. This warmth. He unconsciously buried his beak into her bear pelt. Getting a good whiff of the filth that had accumulated her head. He recoiled, holding his nostrils as he talked, "She's right. We need to get you new clothes."